Representation by Melissa Hodder
- Date submitted
- 8 October 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
My representation is that of a lifetime resident of Ramsgate and mother of 3 young children.
I am categorically against the DCO proposed by RSP and am very concerned about the prospect of the very negative impact on the area, particularly Ramsgate, and also the affect these proposals may have on my children.
Commercial aviation at Manston has never been successful even at much smaller scales than those proposed, so to make it viable RSP would need to open an operation much larger than anything that has ever been seen before. To attract purely cargo custom as the applicant claims they will, must involve allowing night flights, despite the applicants claims to the contrary. Much cargo is time critical, such as fresh produce, a freight carrier cannot risk valuable cargo sitting around airports until such time flights are “allowed”
The applicant claim that thier plans will create a state of the art cargo facility which will create many thousands of jobs. To be a truly state of the art the facility would need to be largely automated and so could not create the numbers of jobs being claimed (in the region off 27000) therefore I feel the projected employment opportunities are false and intended purely to mislead local residents.
I am concerned the applicant has history of purchasing failed airfields but has no experience of a successful airport operation and therefore are unlikely to make Manston a success.
As a local mother, I want my children to have a future where they can find quality, local employment and eventually their own homes, I believe the alternative offer to RSPs plan is more sustainable to these aspirations.
I am of course also gravely concerned at the health implications of a major transport hub so close to my house and how my children will be impacted by this. My home is, according to the applicants own documentation approximately 500 ft below the flight path, the applicant claims there would be significant impact on the quality of life for residents under the flight path but go on to claim, only 10 properties are directly affected, there 29 properties in my road alone.
I hope this representation is considered when a decision is made and would urge the DCO to be rejected at the earliest opportunity.